Building automation systems encompass a wide variety of systems that aid in the monitoring and control of various aspects of building operation. Building automation systems include security systems, fire safety systems, lighting systems, and HVAC systems. The elements of a building automation system are widely dispersed throughout a facility. For example, an HVAC system may include temperature sensors and ventilation damper controls, as well as other elements that are located in virtually every area of a facility. Similarly, a security system may have intrusion detection, motion sensors, video cameras and alarm actuators dispersed throughout an entire building or campus. Fire safety systems also include widely dispersed devices in the form of smoke alarms, pull stations and controllers. These building automation systems typically have one or more centralized control stations from which system data may be monitored and various aspects of system operation may be controlled and/or monitored.
Building automation systems may include vast numbers of devices and control points that may be communicated with, monitored, and controlled. Historically, management systems used to display and access data for monitoring and controlling operations of the building automation system have been relatively rigid in their user interface architecture. Because building automation systems are by nature unique to the layout and design of the particular building, maneuvering among displays of various elements of a complex, building automation system using a rigid user interface may be difficult and time consuming for building managers. Further, certain management operations of a building automation system may require that time sensitive information be delivered or identifiable in a timely manner.
An application framework is described in PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US2011/054141, entitled “Management System with Versatile Display” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/609,364, titled “Management System Using Function Abstraction for Output Generation” (hereafter “the '364 Patent Application”). The application framework provides a user interface that includes a multi-pane display window that allows user selection of a graphic element corresponding to building device object in one pane and display of a “related item” associated with the building device object, where the “related item” may be a link to information about objects related to the selected building device object. For example, as described in the '364 Patent Application, the related items may include floor plan graphics for areas close to or involving the selected building device object or maintenance reports relating to that area. However, in the described application framework, the “related item” is manually pre-configured to be a identified as a property of the building device object or dynamically discovered by the application framework based on searching for schedules, reports, or the like that may reference the respective building device object. However, the application framework described in the '364 Patent Application is still limited or rigid in requiring manual pre-configuration or dynamic discover of “related items” to a building device object.
There is still a need, therefore, for an intuitive interface that allows for information to be delivered or identifiable in a timely manner.